An empty chair at the table where our friend will sing no more

If you like teardrop-infused turkey and pumpkin pie with an extra dose of sobbing, Salem's Thanksgiving celebration was right up your alley! Plus, Abigail gave birth to a baby boy...while being held at gunpoint... and then Ben shot the midwife. Let's toast another uplifting week in Salem in this week's Two Scoops!

So, lately columns have begun on a sad note. So and so is dying. Or so and so is dead. "Boo" being introduced to his friend "hoo," etc., etc. And while last week certainly had its share of soapy sobbing, let's start with a survey...

Please tell me I wasn't the only one who swiftly slapped the palm of my hand to my forehead when Abigail decided to text Chad instead of dialing 9-1-1?

Okay, okay, I get that Abs was under an enormously horrendous circumstance, and rational thinking may have gone out the window. I mean, I can't say I've ever been held at gunpoint while preparing to give birth -- for me it was a bow and arrow while having my wisdom teeth extracted -- but, sheesh! It really hurt my head that she decided to text Chad this lengthy message instead of calling the police, or, heck, even calling Chad, putting the phone on mute, and letting him hear all the fuss while her phone could be tracked. Though part of me wonders if there are enough new emojis out there that she could have used to explain her situation, but I digress.

For the love of all things soapy, I'm trying here, but last week was another amazingly acted but brutal one. Bo's death was a continued gut-punch, and seeing Abigail giving birth in those conditions was way harsh. The icing on the macabre cake was Ben taking midwife Wendy outside and Old Yellering her. Though I will give props to the direction of that scene and to Kate Mansi. The look of appalling anticipation on her face was chilling, and the music went on for a while, long enough for me to think, "Maybe Ben will let Wendy go." Then after a few more moments, boom! I repeat, "brutal."

Shockingly, there was good-ish news. Abigail had a baby boy. There's that. Now, I'm not a medical expert, but that's a big preemie, right? I'm glad, though. With all that's going on, we need a sick baby storyline to add to the depressing mix about as much as Victor needs to make another degrading comment to a woman. Neither needs to happen anytime soon.

Oh, and there's more good-ish news. Though it concerned me (read: "annoyed me") that Rafe took so long to get on board the "Ben Could Be a Bad Guy" train, he finally did. He's ready to help, but, here's a suggestion, the next time Chad's concerned for a loved one, he should just go hug Caroline, and maybe she'll get a ping with one of her psychic vibes. But, again, I digress.

Ultimately, this storyline is powerful, but, like Bo being held hostage for months before his return to Salem, it needs to end soon. It's hard to watch, which, true, is mucho praise for the writers, directors, and actors, but, well, it's hard to watch. It's a ten on the "Downer Scale," and while soaps need to have sad times, of course, a little more balance would be welcomed.

And on the subject of "downers," as Hope sat there holding Bo's body and the snow gently fell around them, do you know what my first thought was? You're wrong if you guessed it was me misting up over the final chapter of one of the greatest love stories told on soaps. Nope. That wasn't it. My thought was, "Great! Hope's out in the snow; she will catch pneumonia and die, too. And then during her funeral, her coffin will slip out of the pallbearers' hands, roll down a hill, and crush another two or three Salemites for good measure." Anyways...

The aftermath of Bo's death was certainly emotional. Kristian Alfonso continued to break my Bope-loving heart with her performances. Add in Mary Beth Evans and Stephen Nichols' stellar work, and the waterworks started. Largely, all of the scenes were just well acted and directed. I was specifically glad that Steve told Victor and that Victor called Chelsea. Roman being there for Caroline was great, too. Sans the family they seemed to forget about, it was comforting that everyone came together for Bo.

Yet while family came together, Hope is falling apart. Her utter emotional destruction (including stars Grief and Guilt) caused her to manifest a vision of Bo, who pretty much encouraged her/herself to get revenge, err, justice for his time being tortured. This has Steve and Kayla nervous. I'm with them.

While I'm all for Hope kicking some bad guy butt for what they did to Bo (and she should be the one who does it), she needs to stay close to the family for a second. Rushing into action while emotionally charged isn't always the best idea. I have exes from my early twenties who received Alanis Morissette-like drunk dials who can prove that.

Though if Hope does need help -- and I'm on board with Steve being that help -- she could also reach out to Victor. Sure, sure, Victor doesn't do things exactly by the letter of the law, but, no matter how many coats of "justice" paint you cover it with, it's still a red Sharpie and double infinity box full of revenge, since these baddies aren't exactly in Hope's jurisdiction. Thought! She could always enlist Shane's help, since he's an international man of mystery. Anyway, I'm on board with this as long as Hope gets to be the hero who takes them down in the end with a wing-person there as backup. This is her fight. She needs to be the hero.

Finally, set your DVRs to record Tuesday's episode of DAYS, as I'll be making a cameo. That's right, if that stupid blood-stained rug isn't gone by Monday, I'm traipsing over to Hope's house to rip it out myself. Seriously, Hope's family, friends, and coworkers -- no one could pick up an area rug and toss it in a dumpster? Sure, there might be a body in said dumpster, as it's Salem, but at least Chase will stop trying to burn the house down. Shut it down, folks.

LOOSE ENDS: Okay then. So Sami managed to steal all of the DiMeras liquid assets and escape. Both Stefano and Andre are peeved. John and Marlena are concerned. And Sami's now a fugitive. I agree that Stefano won't go to the police, but John and Marlena are also right -- his special brand of revenge could be worse. Though, to backtrack, since Sami's a DiMera, would that be a felony? I'm not sure. The only thing I know for sure is that Sami better be back to add some more oomph to this storyline, or I'll be sorely disappointed. Don't let me down, Lady Sweeney!

By the way, where are Johnny, Allie, and Sydney? More so, who are they with!? I don't think they'd be SORAS'ed enough to stay on their own. Here's an idea! Many "missing in action" annoyances could be smoothed over a little if they were staying with Great Uncle and Aunt Shane and Kimberly. They'd surely be safe, and that would explain why none of them are in Salem now.

I totally shared Marlena's excitement when she saw Belle walk through the door! I've been eagerly waiting for the return of Martha Madison. I adore that lady. Though I'm not sure I'm looking forward to Belle and Shawn-Douglas getting a divorce. Based on NBC's Sneak Peek "It Wouldn't Be DAYS Without Big Drama" promo, it appears that Belle cheated again. Boo. We've been down that road before, and it wasn't amazing, though I am a tad curious as to who she cheated with. Philip is returning soon, so that raises a red flag, but I wouldn't be shocked if it turned out to be Fynn. He seems a bit shameless when going after women, whether they're coupled or not. Hmm...

With Belle came a teenaged Claire Bear. I can't wait for a John/Claire scene to see if they still have their charming chemistry. More so, the casting is spot on so far, and I'm enthusiastic to see what Olivia Rose Keegan does with the role. Claire's only the daughter of Belle and Shawn-Douglas, and the granddaughter of Bo, Hope, John, and Marlena, so there's no pressure there at all.

This "Just Add Water" instant teen scene surely sprouted up fast, but I'm enjoying all of them so far. I also enjoyed that Ciara reached out to Chase. The lad needs it as much as she does, so I'm glad they have each other. I'm a bit unsure if they're rewriting history or just keeping us guessing about Chase's mother's death, but it definitely gives Chase depth, which is always a plus in a character.

So, I'm very confused. Paul came to John with information about Paul's baseball player friend whose father went to the same private academy John went to around the same time. Said baseball player's father is Eduardo. Does that mean Rafe or Dario was a baseball player once upon a time ago, or does Eddie have yet another abandoned family out there? I'm sensing that sooner or later, Big Ed is going to be the new Kevin Bacon of Salem, and everyone will be related to him within a sixth degree.

HOT

Though it was all very, very...very...bittersweet, I'm glad that DAYS observed Thanksgiving! It was nice to see most of the characters together, dressed up, reflecting on those they've lost, and celebrating life in honor of them. The toasts were especially moving, and, while there were some glaring absences (I'm looking for you, Theresa, Tater Tot, the Carvers, and Adrienne, to name a few), I was thrilled to see Paul included in the festivities. So, yeah, bittersweet, but well played, DAYS.

NOT Seriously, writers!? No one called Kimberly, Frankie, or Max to tell them about Bo? They could have always given Roman a throwaway line to the effect, as he's always looking for something to do.

LINE OF THE WEEK Caroline: "Mothers hold their children's hands for a little while, and their hearts forever. To my son, who was larger than life. Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hands. To Bo Brady."

TRUE 'DAT LINE OF THE WEEK Victor (to his family): "I'm an ass." At least he's self-aware, right? RANDOM THOUGHTS I wonder if the show will sooner or later SORAS the little sapling into a mighty oak tree?

When John had that flash drive in his hand I had to wonder whose memories might be on it.

Not to be insensitive, but Abigail trying to reason with Ben that if he hurt the baby, he'd have to live with that the rest of his life falls a little short when the guy's already slaughtered four people. , Why are the DiMeras always shocked when people burst through the door to confront them? It happens, like, every other day. More so, why don't they use the security they're always boasting about? They have judges in their pocket, crocked cops on call, yet no one posted at the front door anymore. Hmm.

I adore Jennifer so much lately, which makes me happy because I've always been a vintage Jen and Melissa Reeves fan.

To file under "Way Too Cute," how adorable was it when Arianna Grace was trying to touch Rafe as he spoke to Gabi?

Ben might be a monster, but I kind of want to borrow his line to Wendy. He said, "How about you stop whining and do your damn job?"

After all this time, I didn't know Marlena could cook.

Would Hope be considered a "Double Widow," a "Widow Squared," or just the unluckiest gal in Salem?

PARTING THOUGHTS So, friends and fellow DAYS fans, that's Two Scoops for the week of November 30! If you need cheering up, you can always revisit the 50 Reasons to watch DAYS column Laurisa and I put together. She'll be back next week with plenty of tissues as Salem says goodbye to Bo. And, "That's a sad fact!"

As always, thanks for reading! Tony

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